


The Legend of the Fire Breathing Dragon

by Shion (Nightmare_Taichou)



Series: Toruka Fictober 2019 [1]
Category: ONE OK ROCK
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Eventual Romance, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-07
Updated: 2019-12-14
Packaged: 2021-01-24 01:43:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,103
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21330193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nightmare_Taichou/pseuds/Shion
Summary: Legend has it that long ago, there was a ruthless fire breathing dragon, that lived in a cave deep in the Orinth Mountain Range which terrorized the land.  It scorched the land with its Hellfire, it trampled the ground with its powerful legs ―crushing everything caught beneath―wildlife, flora, Humankind, Elf-Kin, Fae-Folk etc. It’s thunderous roars were enough to cause earthquakes and tsunamis.Legend has it that this dragon must be slain.Takahiro smirked. “Afraid, are we? Useless Archer-san.”Toru was tempted to answer, but he kept his mouth shut. Instead, he did breathing exercises to keep his anger under control and silently regretted that he accepted the Elven male’s sudden request. He should’ve let this feisty brat come here by himself.All Yamashita Toru wanted was to earn some extra money by joining the subjugation party with his friends and slay the goddamn beast of a dragon, not endure this torment of accompanying an Apothecary for some measly herb gathering. However, little did Toru know that this Apothecary, Moriuchi Takahiro, was far more than meets the eye.
Relationships: Morita Takahiro/Yamashita Toru
Series: Toruka Fictober 2019 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1537705
Comments: 5
Kudos: 16





	1. First Meeting

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt #1: Legend/Mythology

_The Legend of the Fire Breathing Dragon_

…

…

_Legend has it that long ago, there was a ruthless fire breathing dragon, that lived in a cave deep in the Orinth Mountain Range which terrorized the land. _

_It scorched the land with its Hellfire, it trampled the ground with its powerful legs ―crushing everything caught beneath―wildlife, flora, Humankind, Elf-Kin, Fae-Folk etc. It’s thunderous roars were enough to cause earthquakes and tsunamis. _

_But nevertheless, this dragon was beautiful. _

_Its thick black scales shone like black oil in the sun and glistened in the moonlight. Its amber eyes were pretty, looking harmless to the unsuspecting souls. _

_Everyone on the Continent feared this dragon, many have tried to kill the beast and have failed. For peace to return to the continent, Legend has it that this dragon must be slain. _

…

…

Near the foot of the Orinth Mountain Range lies _Draguinesse, _a small city of a little over 10,000 people. Usually, this city is bustling with life, having flamboyant festivals, to housing different merchant caravans that have stopped over to rest up for the long journey ahead.

However, this time, the city wasn’t bustling due to any of the aforementioned reasons. It was because the Adventurer’s Guild had issued a subjugation request, and as such, a whole host of the free-spirited folks had “invaded” the city. The people didn’t mind either, more money was being made. And if the subjugation goes well, then the country and by a larger extent, the continent will be free of the “Fire Breathing Dragon”.

Navigating through this crowd were three Adventurer males ―Yamashita Toru, an Elven Archer with long blond hair with the front fringe done in a sweep to the left. He wore a long green tunic with black accents and trim on the sleeves. His black pants were tucked into black demi-boots that had adjustable belts on the side. There was a green leather quiver on his back, which of course, was packed with arrows.

The second male was Toru’s childhood friend, Kohama Ryouta. Like Toru, he was also an Elf, but his occupation was Mage. He was dressed in a black shoulder cape over a sleeveless shirt with a blue pants which was tucked into black shin high boots. He didn’t wear the standard Mage robes as he found them cumbersome and unfashionable.

The third male was Kanki Tomoya, who the aforementioned two met while on their adventures. He was a Warrior, who wore light armour and carried a deadly blade in its holster nestled on his hips. He was clothed in a sleeveless shirt like Ryouta, with steel arm guards on both hands. His dark red pants were held in place by a crossed leather belt ―the accessory featured a double-pronged buckle while lacers run along the length of the belt, creating a series of X-shapes. And to complete his look, he wore brown High Forest boots with white twine lacing at the front.

The trio walked towards an inn, where they easily booked a room for themselves, being that Adventurers had first preference. After the trio got comfortable ―_Ryouta quickly emptying his magic bag which housed all their stuff_ ―they ordered a few snacks from the establishment. They were going to be in Draguinesse for a while, being that for the subjugation to be successful, they had to wait on the _Day of the Dragon. _According to this city’s history, there’s a particular day in which the dragon will make its appearance. And that is the day the Adventurers are waiting on to slay the creature.

“I’ve only been here once before and man, this city never ceases to amaze me.” Tomoya sighed as he looked through the window at the bustling crowd.

“Right! If we finish this subjugation in time, we could make it back to the Festival! I’m so excited!”

“Wait? Festival?” Tomoya looked shocked. “I’ve researched all there is about this city’s festivals and there’s none in this month!”

Ryouta chuckled at his companion. “Tomo-kun, what you don’t know is that the people are so optimistic that we’ll defeat this dragon once and for all, they’ve decided that once we bring back the head, they’ll hold a festival to celebrate!”

Toru snorted. “Which is dumb, might I add.”

“Right...” Ryouta continued. He noticed something odd about Toru’s demeanour but he left it be. He can always ask about it later on. “...so that means...” The Mage trailed off, unable to find the right words to say.

“So tell me about the food!” Tomoya shrieked, excitedly. He was hoping to lighten up the atmosphere.

“I thought you’d never ask Tomo-kun.”

But meanwhile those who were busy gushing about food, Toru was busy thinking on something else. According to the request, they (and a whole lot more) were to subjugate a dragon that has been living in a cave on the Orinth Mountains. Apparently, this dragon has been a plague, nuisance, harbringer, everything bad one could name. However, this city ―Draguinesse, has been sitting here for centuries, _unharmed. _And given the over-powerful description of the dragon, no barrier is able to withstand its attacks.

“Something doesn’t add up.” He mumbled to himself. He’s read up on the legend prior to coming here, but he still was uneasy about it. “If this dragon was meant to be evil, why is this city able to prosper right under the monster’s nose?”

“Did you say something Toru?” The two asked in unison.

“Nothing. I’m going for a walk.” He said as he got up. He left his quiver along with his bow on his bed, but instead, he carried his long lance on person. Even though Toru was an Archer, he could use Magic and the Lance quite well. While his skills aren’t as frightening like Ryouta and Tomoya’s, he still could hold his own.

Once again, he slipped through the crowds, going to the outer part of the city. Here, it was quiet and less bustling than the centre. Soon, Toru rounded a corner and noticed that the buildings were becoming more sparse and seeming more like housing.

He loved the scenery, the change of place, so Toru continued his trek. He wanted to view the city―and if possible, in its entirety― before the subjugation began. If push comes to shove and they had to evacuate, then at least he’ll be able to spring into action and get the innocents to safety.

As he walked, he noticed a group by a shop. Curious, Toru headed towards it when he heard a shout:

“Please Takahiro-san, save my baby!” It was an Elven woman, who cradled a little bundle in her arms.

Toru couldn’t see this “Takahiro-san” due to the crowd that had amassed. However, he heard a soft and gentle voice say:

“Alright. I’ll do it. Bring her in.”

Toru shrugged his shoulders seeing that this was nothing to get worked up for. Whistling, he walked to the shop and looked at the signboard. It read in a pretty font ―_Leaf It To Me._

“Oh, must be an apothecary.” Toru said to himself with a chuckle. It was pretty obvious that it was an Apothecary’s place, given that they were the only ones who dealt with herbs. Plus, the store’s name was pretty catchy, quite funny too. He continued his walk but then, he heard a vicious slam from behind him and a small man exited in a hurry. He drew on his shoulder cape and fixed what seemed to be a utility belt in place on his waist.

“I’ll be back soon! Watch the shop for me!” he shouted. His soft curls bounced as he speedily walked on.

“But Takahiro-san! It’s dangerous! At least bring an Adventurer with you!” One Elven male yelled at the man. “There are tons in the city!”

_Oh, that’s Takahiro-san, huh? Pretty small though. Is he a mix between a Dwarf?_

“I don’t have the time! Plus, I’ve been to the mountains_ without_ an Adventurer so many times! I don’t need them!”

“But ―!” The man continued to argue until his eyes fell on Toru who was just spectating the argument. The Elven male made his way to the Archer and clasped his hands together, “Please Adventurer-san, accompany Takahiro-san to the mountains! My baby is extremely sick and he needs to gather some herbs to cure her!”

“Uh,” Toru didn’t know how to reply. This sudden request was unexpected. Plus, he was just going for a walk and hadn’t brought his primary equipment.

“I don’t need your help! I’ll be fine on my own!” The petite Apothecary rejected. “I’ve done it many times before! Are you deaf?!”

“But this is the season of the Dragon! What if it shows up?!”

Toru saw Takahiro flinch at the mention of the Dragon. The man averted his eyes seeming to hide something. Now, Toru’s interest was piqued.

“I’ll go with him.”

“Thank you Adventurer-san!” The Elven male rejoiced.

Takahiro’s eyes widened with anger at Toru, nostrils flaring. With a huff, Takahiro moved off, prompting Toru to follow. They walked briskly towards the outer gates, which led towards the forest. This jungle was the Orinth Forest, a vast stretch of woodland which housed numerous flora and fauna, which were both dangerous and safe to the inhabitants of Draguinesse.

“So...you’ve said you didn’t need my help right?” Toru started up in hopes of getting a conversation in. He hated the dead silence between them, and could feel the heavy tension.

“That’s right.” He sassed.

Toru drew back. _Well, feisty much. _“So, if that’s the case, may I ask, do you have any other skills apart from making medicines?”

“I can use Fire Magic and I’m a Swordsman.” Takahiro replied. “Why ask?”

“It’s the standard of adventuring. When partying up with someone for the first time, it’s good to know who you’re working with. So when danger comes, we won’t be floundering about like idiots.”

“Tsch, I knew that.”

Toru chuckled. “Of course you did.” He replied in sarcasm.

“Whatever.”

“Anyway, I’m primarily an Archer but I left my bow and quiver.”

“Then what the fuck are you doing here?!” Takahiro spun around and threatened to punch Toru squarely in the face. “An Archer without his bow and arrows is utterly useless!”

Toru laughed. “As you can see, I’m an Elf.” His long pointy ears twitched for emphasis. “Like you, I can use Magic and a weapon.” He pulled a small round orb out of his pocket and poured some Magic into it. Soon, it extended into a long lance ―its metallic shaft extending for about two metres with two thick protrusions on each side closer to the triangular head at the top.

Takahiro looked at him and the weapon with scrutinizing eyes. With a huff, the smaller man then said, “Fine.”

“Great?” Toru was uncertain. Takahiro kept giving him mixed signals, so he couldn’t tell whether or not the man was relieved.

“But I don’t need your protection. I can handle myself.”

Toru rolled his eyes in irritation. “Then what about the monsters that lurk here? Can _you_ handle _them?”_

Takahiro gave him the stink eye. He was tempted to reply but he found himself holding his tongue. He wasn’t too fond of this Adventurer who accepted an impromptu and informal request such as this, for _free. _Takahiro wondered if Toru had a hidden agenda, because for what other reason would he accompany an _Apothecary_ on a _herb gathering? _

It was here that he started to fret. _Could it be that he knows? _Takahiro has always had one secret that he makes sure to keep under wraps. Because if it gets out, then that would mean his life as a simple Apothecary would come to an end. His entire life may be endangered.

“Hey, do you ―” Takahiro broke off when a deafening roar rocked the forest, scattering the birds and other animals. Immediately, Toru drew his lance preparing to strike should any monster pop up out of the bushes. He had to be looking out for Takahiro as well, since Apothecaries generally aren’t fighters. And even though the petite man said he was able to use Fire Magic and the sword, Toru couldn’t really rely on his skills since he’s never seen him in action.

Suddenly, Toru felt the air get heavy and found himself unable to move, almost as if gravity had increased tenfold. His knees buckled under the immense pressure, his lungs felt as though the air was being sucked out of them. But the Elf knew better. That aura was coming from behind him ―from Takahiro.

“There’s a Devil Tiger nearby.” Takahiro said, reopening his eyes. “It’s what caused the roar.” His eyebrows rose in confusion when he saw the Elf on his fours, panting for air.

Dumbstruck, Toru asked, “Who the hell are you?”

Toru staggered and swayed onto his feet, the feeling of the heavy pressure still hasn't left his body just yet. His eyes narrowed at the Apothecary, who seemed ignorant of what he just did.

Seeing what just transpired, Toru knew that Takahiro had used a Mage’s skill called _“Search”. _It’s what Ryouta would use to detect monsters, people and traps in their area. Although, Toru didn’t know how wide Takahiro’s scope was, but judging from the magic that emitted not too long ago, he wouldn’t be surprised if the Apothecary could see even in the ocean.

Unperturbed, Takahiro replied. “A simple Apothecary.”

Toru’s eyes narrowed at the man. _There’s no way a simple Apothecary would have such magical power! _

Takahiro walked off towards in the direction of the Devil Tiger, Toru in the back following the man’s lead. He found it hard to believe that an Apothecary had such immense power, but then again, not everyone wants to be an Adventurer. It’s dangerous work in which one could die at any given time. It was much safer, much less risky to settle down in a town or city and run a business.

“Hey, Takahiro...” Toru started, “...why are we heading to the vicinity of the Devil Tiger? Shouldn’t we get what we need and _leave?” _He emphasized the word far too much to get his point across. Provoking a monster was not on his to-do list, especially since he doesn’t have his primary equipment.

Takahiro smirked. “Afraid, are we? _Useless Archer-san.” _

Toru was tempted to answer, but he kept his mouth shut. Instead, he did breathing exercises to keep his anger under control and silently regretted that he accepted the Elven male’s sudden request. He should’ve let this feisty brat come here by himself.

When he noticed that Toru hadn’t replied, Takahiro said, “We’re heading there because we don’t know if that thing will travel closer to Draguinesse and cause a ruckus. Might as well we exterminate it from now. And on the bright side, you can bring back whatever it is that you can and take it as payment for accompanying me since I doubt Tao has any money to pay you.”

“I wasn’t looking for any pay, I willingly volunteered.”

Shocked, Takahiro didn’t know what to say. Maybe Toru was a well-bred Elf and not one of those disgusting money-grubbing Adventurers. But then again, this could all be a front.

_No...you’re paranoid Takahiro..._

When they stepped into the clearing, the sight that they saw left Takahiro gaping. Toru was accustomed to this, but for Takahiro, not so much. He’s been cooped up in Draguinesse and only leaves when he needs to do herb gathering ―_which, _is strategically planned so that he won’t encounter any monster.

Before them was the Devil Tiger, but all around it, the forest was laid to waste. The herbs were trampled upon and the trees were broken and charred, dead bodies of animals and monsters littered the ground.

“The herbs...” Takahiro gasped out in rage.

“Whatever, let’s kill it!” Toru shouted and as he took a stance a couple metres in front of Takahiro. “Use your Fire Magic to stun it!”

“Fuck you.” Takahiro hissed and suddenly, he raised his hand in the air and a giant magic circle appeared beneath the Devil Tiger. Then, a pillar of intense Fire shot upwards, burning the monster to a crisp.

Toru stood and gaped.

Slowly, he turned around to face Takahiro, who looked as though he was still seething.

“What on Earth was that?” Toru asked out loud. “Better yet, who the hell are you?”

Takahiro turned his back quickly. “I told you, didn’t I? I’m a simple Apothecary.” But inwardly, the little man was a bit worried. Once again, he let his emotions get the better of him, and thus affected the intensity of the Spell. What no one knew was that his Magic was primarily emotion-driven, so the angrier he gets, the hotter and more destructive his Fire becomes.

Toru looked back and forth between the scene and Takahiro in utter amazement. That kind of Fire Spell seemed like one the Royal Mages would use _during _a war or someshit. Not to exterminate a Devil Tiger _just because _the precious herbs were ruined.

“Let’s go.”

Toru was brought back to reality by Takahiro and once more, the two set off to locate the herbs. Along the way, they found themselves chatting about almost everything, from Toru asking Takahiro what made him become an Apothecary(and not a Mage) and what’s it like living in Draguinesse, to Takahiro asking about Toru’s adventures. Of course, in the midst of that, Takahiro threatened Toru that if he should tell anyone of what he did, he’ll live to regret it for the rest of his life.

And, that made Toru even more curious as to why Takahiro choose _this _occupation and not a Fire Mage. The Archer knew that the Apothecary would definitely be living like a King right now, with that sort of Fire power.

But soon, they’ve reached the spot where the specific herbs grew, and even though he’s been all over the continent and to other countries, Toru’s never seen flora like this before.

The grass was tall up to his knee, with strange leaves. The edges were jagged like spikes but when Takahiro pulled them out of the ground, a thick yellow-ish liquid oozed from the roots. This was what the petite Apothecary wanted.

Toru watched with interest as Takahiro quickly collected the juice from the roots before stashing the herbs themselves into a container. And when he was done, a bright yet blinding smile appeared on the man’s face.

Toru was momentarily stunned. For a man, Takahiro was extremely adorable.

“So, looks like we’re done here, right?” He asked to bring himself back to reality. _How can one man be so cute?_

“Yeah. Let’s head back.”

But as soon as they turned back and trekked for a couple minutes, Toru felt _it. _While he wasn’t apt enough to use Search like Ryouta and Takahiro, anyone who’s able to feel Magical Presence wouldn’t miss it.

A horde of Devil Tigers blocked their path, who all seemed pissed that their leader was now dead.

They were now surrounded by a horde of Devil Tigers, who all seemed pissed that their leader was dead.

“Fuck me.” Toru hissed as he gripped his lance. “The one day I didn’t walk with my primary equipment.”

As for Takahiro, he cursed inwardly. While he could eliminate this much Devil Tigers, the problem was that, he’d probably draw unnecessary attention to them and he didn’t want that. He’s been living quietly until now, he doesn’t want that to change.

“Takahiro! Let’s run!” He heard Toru bark at him, grabbing his wrist and sprinting off into the other direction.

“Wait! Why are we running?!” Takahiro asked, clearly confused. Shouldn’t they fight these monsters and get rid of them?

“The two of us can’t handle that much Devil Tigers! Plus, your Magic is too dangerous! You could destroy this entire area!” Takahiro didn’t reply. Toru was on point with that. “I don’t know if I’m right, but with Magic like that, you could’ve been so many things that pays a ton. Yet, here you are in a countryside town being a simple Apothecary. That must mean, you intend to keep a low profile. You’ve already used your magic once, with the tons of Adventurers in Draguinesse, it won’t go unnoticed.”

“How...?” Takahiro was stunned. This Archer was damn perceptive. _Too perceptive._ Thus, it made him think. Toru didn’t seem like one of those Adventurers who were on the wrong side of morality. He seemed nice, he seemed genuine, he seemed like…

_He could be trusted. _

But then again, even if he wasn’t, it wouldn’t take much for Takahiro to erase his existence anyway. So, taking a gamble, Takahiro pulled his hand out Toru’s grasp and stopped.

“Oi! We don’t ―!”

“Toru-san,” Takahiro started. The Archer was shocked at his name being called, much less an honorific added at the end. “What do you think of the Dragon and the Legend?”

Toru looked confused. “How’s that important right now!? We need to escape this ―”

“Tell me!” Takahiro barked as he erected a barrier, barring out the vicious creatures.

Toru clicked his tongue. He figured that he should give Takahiro what he wants because he seems like the type to throw a tantrum. “I don’t know.” he replied truthfully. “I mean, the Legend doesn’t make sense. If the Dragon was evil, Draguinesse wouldn’t be able to prosper beneath its nose. I mean, legend has it that it lives in a cave up there, right?”

“Yeah.” Takahiro replied. He heaved a sigh of relief. “Well, good answer.”

Toru was further confused. “How’s that _important now?” _

“I just wanted to know your stance.” He shrugged. But getting back to the issue at hand, Takahiro said, “We have to kill these Tigers. Up ahead is a cliff so we’ll be cornered there. Best to get rid of them now.”

“It sucks that you can’t use your oh-so destructive magic and wipe them the fuck out in one fell swoop.” The Archer grumbled as he looked around and saw the pack of Devil Tigers. They’d be fucked if Takahiro’s barrier gave way.

So, seeing that the petite man’s barrier was up and withstanding the strong Claws of the creatures, Toru had an idea. Hopefully, it works and he won’t end up dead.

“Takahiro! Cover me!” Toru shouted as he dashed towards the pack of Tigers. With lance in hand, the Archer rushed forwards and swung his Lance in a giant arc; its sharp protrusions cut deeply into the nearby Tiger’s skin, tearing the flesh and fur from their bodies. With his strength, the Tigers were sent flying, clearing a path for Toru to take on the rest.

They all rushed up towards him in a wild frenzy, but the Elven Archer was unperturbed. He’s been in many situations like this before, given that his party only had two other members. He was used to being surrounded by wild animals.

With a stab, Toru’s lance pierced through the incoming Tiger’s chest, and using the momentum from the stab, Toru vaulted over the body to avoid an incoming Claw from another.

“Takahiro! What are you doing?! Burn them!” Toru’s voice sounded like a screech. How funny it was, to hear such a deep voice sounding frantic and urgent.

Getting out of his amazement, Takahiro quickly cast another Fire Spell, but this time, of a lower grade than the one previous. Fireballs emerged from the Spell Circles, and thus, burned the Tigers to a crisp. But here, Toru got another idea.

The Archer rammed his lance into the ground, and using his Earth Magic, the ground jutted upwards, propelling the Tigers along with it.

“Do what you do best, Takahiro.” Toru smirked at the smaller man. Catching Toru’s drift, Takahiro did just that. This time, he formed multiple Spell Circles of a smaller scale, and from these circles emerged numerous needle-like things of Fire. They pierced the Tigers in the chest, but in order for Toru to be able to bring something back to the Guild, they weren’t charred into black ash.

“Wow, we did it.” Toru grinned.

“Yeah, and I must admit, you’re quite proficient with the Lance. If I didn’t know better, I would have never guessed that you were primarily an Archer.”

“Well, my parents always drilled into me and my brother that we needed to have a close-range secondary weapon, _just in case.”_

“Well, they were right.”

“Yeah.”

And with that, the two headed back to Draguinesse, Takahiro cursing that he had spent more time than he had intended.


	2. More Than Just An Apothecary

“Where have you been?!” Ryouta and Tomoya shrieked in Toru’s face the moment he got home. It had taken him a while to get back since he had to head to the Adventurers Guild in the town to get the spoils appraised. He hadn’t even gotten a chance to head back to Takahiro’s shop to ask how was that baby doing or rather, how _he was doing._

The Archer was greatly perplexed by the petite Apothecary, someone with so much power and yet he was a simple drug store owner in a countryside city. So, he had wanted to talk to the little man some more, get some information out of him little by little without seeming too intrusive. He had done so in the forest on their herb gathering quest, but somehow, Toru felt that there was more to Takahiro than meets the eye.

“I’m sorry, I went for a walk.” Toru replied nonchalantly.

“A walk doesn’t take so long. It’s almost sundown!” Tomoya screeched, his chubby cheeks puffed out in anger. “I was worried sick!”

Toru chuckled. “Sorry, Mom.”

The eldest sighed and sat on his bed. His mood seemed to have changed completely, the air in the room suddenly getting heavy. Toru wondered what the cause of this sudden change was, but didn’t ask. He knew they’ll tell him.

“So while you were out, Ryouta and I went around town for some _sightseeing._” Tomoya said, the tone of his voice indicated that what they truly did was anything but sightseeing. “And there were some things that we found.”

Toru’s eyebrows rose. “Like?”

“The Dragon Legend.”

“Something doesn’t add up, am I right?” Toru asked. He had been feeling this way ever since he read the story.

The other two nodded. “There’s no way a Dragon that powerful would be living up there and this town is fine. _So fine_ to the point of prosperity.” Tomoya whispered. He didn’t know who might be at their door, since they could be using a Concealment skill to hide from Ryouta’s “Search”.

“So Tomo-kun and I thought that something must be off about this Legend and thus, we withdrew our party from the subjugation.”

Toru stood up in shock. All this time, his fellow teammates were thinking along the same lines as he. The action however made them jolt with surprise, until Toru returned to his seat.

“I’ve been thinking the same thing.” The Archer then said, raking a hand through his long blond hair. “If the Dragon was “evil” as they’d put it, why is this entire area intact? Shouldn’t it be like a wasteland of black ash?”

Ryouta chuckled. “I raised that question and the answer I got was that the Dragon goes into hibernation.” He erupted in full-blown laughter. “Like, only a dumbass would believe that!”

“While it can be true that Dragons hibernate, it sure isn’t true that they do so for centuries.” Tomoya rolled his eyes. “I mean, if they were gonna lie, at least make it believable.”

“So...since we’re off the subjugation list, what are we gonna do now?” Ryouta asked. “I mean, should we just investigate some more and take some quests in-between? Or leave Draguinesse altogether?”

“Yeah, we could do that. Investigate, that is.” Toru nodded. He didn’t believe that they should just up and leave the city since they weren’t subjugating anymore, instead, he felt that they should expose the truth about the Legend. “We need to earn some money too, right?”

“And we could go check out that shop too!”

“What shop?” Toru asked.

_“Leaf It To Me!”_

Toru couldn’t contain his smirk. “What a coincidence. For what reason?”

“Well, we’ve heard that the Apothecary there has some kick-ass recovery potions and stamina boosting stuff. It would be wise to stock up while we still can. Who knows if when the subjugation comes around the store won’t be crowded with Adventurers?” Ryouta shrugged.

“It _is _going to be crowded with Adventurers Ryouta. No questions asked.” Tomoya sighed.

Toru couldn’t contain his excitement. “We can go first thing in the morning.”

…

…

Takahiro sneezed.

And sneezed again.

“Am I catching a cold?” He asked himself. He shook his head to rid the thought. It would be strange that _he _of all people would catch an illness after all, he was an Apothecary.

Takahiro refocused on his tasks, cleaning the counter and his work area for making the medicines. But then, his mind ran on the Archer he met today. There was something about him that struck Takahiro. It was the fact that despite not knowing anything, and being in Draguinesse for the first time, he willingly helped an Apothecary gather herbs in peace, without expecting any payment.

Even though it was impromptu, Toru still could’ve rejected the request, but he didn’t. Instead, he willingly helped. Of all his life, Takahiro has never trusted people so much before, since he knew what they could be like.

_Cruel._

_Heartless._

_Ruthless._

He’s seen it over and over again, the chaos, the destruction stemming from hatred, grudges and greed. He’s seen the rise and fall of this continent so many times he’s lost count. He’s interacted with the different races here to know that they’ll do anything to achieve their goals, even if they’re lacking on the morality side.

“I need to lock up now.” He mumbled to himself, trying to take his mind off something so depressing.

But throughout that, he remembered what the blond Elven Archer had said to him in the forest.

_“...the Legend doesn’t make sense.”_

Takahiro felt like he could breathe. Never before he’s heard someone say that about the legend, and sooner or later, he knew he might have to tell Toru the truth, _before _it’s too late.

After locking up the shop, Takahiro put on his cloak and headed out. It was already night-time, with outside being pitch-black. It seemed as though rain was about to fall, given the dark clouds in the sky. Quickly, the small man walked through the city, and headed to the westernmost gate, the same gate that he and Toru had exited earlier today.

Slipping by the inattentive guard, Takahiro headed back into the Orinth Forest, this time, a more serious look on his face. Slowly but surely, he navigated through the thick foliage, making sure to avoid the beasts that lurk.

Within an hour or so, he reached the foot of the mountain ―Mount Orin, and began his ascent. Jumping onto the sides of the massive earth and gripping onto the jutting rocks, Takahiro managed to reach a nearby cave without miss-hap. Here, as he pointed an index finger upwards, a small flame lit, illuminating the dark space which the petite man trotted.

Takahiro has been down this route for years, doing the same thing over and over again. He was tired of it, and often time wished that this curse hadn’t befallen his father. 

In his deep thinking, he hadn’t realized that he’s reached a grand door, seeming to be embedded into the earthen space. With a deep breath, Takahiro punched the air with a fist, and a stream of fire emerged. The door sucked up the fire like a black hole, and not long after, it opened.

There was a loud creaking sound, Takahiro entering, on high alert. Although he knew that no one could possibly enter here, there was still _something _sleeping within the confines of this darkness. Gingerly, the small man walked towards the nearest statue and lit up the first one, after which all the others caught on fire.

There on a giant stone table, lay a massive creature ―it’s navy-blue wings curled around its body seemingly a protective barrier, one of its thick muscled leg hung low while the long, black talons scraped the dirt floor. It’s eyes were closed but its breathing was steady.

There before Takahiro was none other than a Dragon ―_Kazuhiro, Lord of the Blazing Fire._

With steady steps, Takahiro walked up to the giant creature and placed a hand on its muzzle. “Hey Dad, did you miss me?”

…

…

Bright and early the trio suited up and headed out towards the only Apothecary in the city, _Leaf It To Me. _All throughout their journey, Toru led the way, startling the other two. When they reached the small store, however, it was closed.

“Eh?! How come?!” Ryouta shrieked, frantically looking around for someone to ask. “Are we too early?”

“I’m praying that’s the case.” Tomoya sighed. “It would be terrible if today’s his day off.”

Toru snorted. “Apothecaries don’t get days off. And since he’s the only one in town, when he closes, what happens to people who get sick? Travel to the nearest town? Preposterous.”

“Right...”

The trio decided to stay and wait for the Apothecary to open, taking a seat on the front steps. The trio looked strange sitting on the steps of the shop, even passers-by had to stop and stare occasionally. But after minutes of waiting ―_Ryouta and Toru ended up playing with their Magics to alleviate their boredom and Tomoya fell asleep_― the doors of _Leaf It To Me _swung open, slamming into their backs.

“Holy shit! What the hell are you doing on my...” Takahiro started but the words died on his lips as his eyes spotted the blond Elven Archer from yesterday. “...steps?”

“Ow! Why are you so aggressive?!” Tomoya whined as he rubbed his back. He looked at the petite Apothecary with a playful pout. If it is one thing about Tomoya, he knew how to hustle things for free. “I’m gonna need a recovery potion. I think my spine’s damaged.”

Takahiro looked at the Warrior with incredulity. He knew his type well. “Excuse me? You’re on my property. How was I supposed to know that three idiots were sitting on my steps?”

“Ooohhh...feisty much.” Ryouta said jokingly. “No one told us this.”

Takahiro was not amused.

As if sensing the oncoming danger, Toru promptly stood up and before the petite man. With a smile on his handsome face, he introduced, “These are my friends, Ryouta,” He said while pointing to the Elf, “And this is Tomoya.” He then looked to his friends and said, “This is Takahiro.”

Takahiro looked nonchalant. “And why are you introducing us like I’m your_ other friend who needs to know your besties?”_

“Well...” Toru trailed off, not knowing what to say. Thinking about it, he really couldn’t give a reason. A_ solid_ reason.

Sighing, Takahiro pushed the door open wider, indicating that they should come in. After all, he was running a business and they were possible customers. Going behind the counter, the small man then asked in a rather polite voice laced with falseness, “How may I help you?”

Ryouta and Tomoya spluttered, stifling down their laughter. Judging by their encounter so far, this Apothecary seems like a real piece of work.

“We would like some recovery potions and stamina boosters.” Ryouta finally managed to say. “And anything else you’ve got for Adventurers.”

Takahiro sassed, “I have _so many _things for Adventurers, can Useless Archer-san here afford them all?”

Toru twitched. “You little shit...” he said between gritted teeth. “...didn’t I defend your sorry ass _without _my Archer equipment?”

“Tsch. Even though you were like, “cover me!” and I _had _to cover your ass!”

“You…!”

Watching this back and forth, Ryouta and Tomoya wondered when Toru had met him. They were always together, for the most part, and ever since arriving in Draguinesse, the trio have always been together. Unless…

Takahiro left the counter and went around the back for what Ryouta had ordered. Obviously, he wasn’t going to search for anything apart from the recovery portions and stamina boosters.

Meanwhile, Tomoya and Ryouta drilled Toru.

“How did you meet him?” Tomoya asked, taking a seat on the nearby stool. “Without our knowledge?”

Toru sighed. “Remember when I went for a walk, yesterday?” they nodded. “I got a request from an Elven male whose baby was sick and Takahiro needed to gather some herbs to cure her.”

“Oh...but herb gathering shouldn’t have taken forever!”

“Or lead to “ass covering”!”

“Yeah, we encountered Devil Tigers and I had to go to the guild to make a report and get our reward.”

“Damn...” the two gave out in shock.

Soon, Takahiro returned with their goods, and thanks to the Devil Tigers yesterday, Toru was in fact, able to pay for it all. Sending a smirk into the petite Apothecary’s direction, Toru forked out the silver coins, as if showing that Takahiro was wrong about this “Useless Archer-san”.

“Yay! So what’s the first request we took?!”Ryouta chirped as he threw their potions into his Magic Bag.

“It’s...” Toru started as he took out the paper. He paled when he read the contents. At the Guild, Toru had to ask the Receptionist for a quest since their notice board was empty. With the excess Adventurers present in Draguinesse now, that was bound to happen. “...to gather herbs in the Orinth Forest. Requester: Moriuchi Takahiro, Apothecary of _Leaf It To Me_.”

Takahiro grinned maliciously. “I suggest you get going. Today _is usually _my busiest day.”

“Motherfucker.”

“Damn, to think that one of our first jobs was from Apothecary-san here.” Ryouta whistled. “What a terrible coincidence.”

Takahiro twitched at the Elf’s comment. Initially, he didn’t intend on putting out the request, but when he remembered what happened yesterday, he thought that sometimes, he had to leave it up to the Adventurers here. There may come a time when he’s needed to stay in the shop while someone else procures the herbs.

He just hoped that they bring back the correct ones.

…

…

“Man, this is why I hate herb gathering!” Tomoya shrieked as he pushed the bush from out his face. He occasionally spat out a few bugs that managed to fly into his mouth. “There are bugs, there are bush, there are bugs, there are wild animals and monsters, _and there are bugs!”_

Toru and Ryouta rolled their eyes at him. “Of course.” They drawled in unison.

“Fucking Elves. Have no sympathy for a Half-Fae like me.”

Toru and Ryouta erupted with laughter but never stopped to look for the herbs. After all, they took Takahiro’s words seriously, which meant that the small man will need them soon.

“So where do you think we can start investigating?” Tomoya asked as he used the small knife to cut the herb. He placed it in his bag, while Ryouta checked it off their list.

“I was thinking the city Archives.” Toru replied. “They should have a shit ton of information on everything, right?”

“Yeah.”

Ryouta looked at his childhood friend with worry. He knew there was something bothering Toru, but for some reason, he wouldn’t talk. It wasn’t as though he couldn’t talk to them, the three had such a good relationship with each other that, often time, they were each other’s confidant. So, it confused Ryouta as to why Toru would clamp up like this.

“Toru,” he said, his voice losing all its usual chirp. “What’s the matter?”

With a deep sigh, Toru knew what Ryouta wanted. But these were just his speculations, and he didn’t want to start pointing fingers mistakenly.

“It’s just...” he began, thinking of the right words to say. “...I was asked yesterday what I thought about the legend by the Apothecary.”

“And…?”

“When I told him that the legend doesn’t make sense, he seemed a bit relieved.”

“And…?”

“I don’t know, for some reason, I think he’s hiding something pertaining to the Legend and I may be going out on a limb here, but the dragon as well.”

“If he’s hiding something, what do you think it could be?”

“The true legend, maybe.” Tomoya joined in. “I mean, what else is there to hide? The Dragon’s body?”

The others burst out in hearty laughter at the Half-Fae’s comment. They continued their herb gathering with fun, teasing Tomoya whenever he starts to whine about the bugs. Not before long, the trio completed their quest and headed back to Draguinesse, but Ryouta couldn’t shake the ominous feeling that he got.

…

…

After delivering the herbs to Takahiro, the Trio headed out towards the City Archives. They were determined to find out the truth about the Dragon Legend, and prayed that by the time they do, it won’t be too late. Even though the subjugation won’t start until the _Day of the Dragon, _they didn’t know when that was exactly. All other ancient texts that they’ve read each had differing dates.

“So, let’s start with this one.” Tomoya said as he placed a rather thick book on the desk before Toru.

The Leader of the trio looked at the cover and raised an eyebrow. “What does the Ryuujin race have to deal with this? Aren’t they _extinct?”_

Tomoya laughed. “That, my friend, is where you could be wrong.”

“Could?” Ryouta joined in.

“Yeah, look here.” Tomoya opened the book and skipped to a page. There, he read, “It is debatable on whether or not the Ryuujin race is extinct,” he sent a smirk to Toru, “since they had the ability to shapeshift into people of this world. Their shifting usually stuck to two of the different Kin of the Earth ―Elves and Humans. Which is why scholars think that the Ryuujin aren’t extinct, just blending in with the rest of the world.”

“Holy smokes….” Ryouta breathed out. “So you’re telling me that Dragons could be sitting over there?” He whispered excitedly as he turned to look in the direction of a table nearby the window. Four Elven males and two Human females were there, chatting and laughing.

“Yeah, basically.”

With a shrug, Toru then said, “Well, let’s start reading.”

“You two can go on ahead, I’ll go look for another book in the meantime.” Ryouta said, walking off to a far aisle, almost hidden in shadows.

“Sure.”

…

…

By the time Ryouta returned, an hour later, he saw Tomoya and Toru’s faces looking displeased. He could only guess what happened and had to stifle down his laughter.

“So, what you read was totally useless, huh?” the young Elf asked.

“How could you tell?” Tomoya asked, with an eye roll.

“Your faces are an open book.”

Toru then sat upright in his chair and looked to his childhood friend. “So, what about you? Have anything to add?”

Ryouta pulled the thick book he had tucked underneath his arm and placed it on the table before his two companions.“I found this book, and I...” He started but sucked in a breath. “...I am really enraged.”

“How?” The others asked. Ryouta didn’t look mad, he looked like he would on regular days.

“Read.” He found the page and directed his best friends accordingly.

_“The Ryuujin race was a people of Dragon blood. They were dragons, who had the ability to shapeshift. Their shifted looks highly resembled Elves and Humans for reasons unknown. They lived Beyond the Great Mountains, with their Dragon King’s throne being on Mount Orin, in the Orinth Mountain Range.”_

“Isn’t that…?” Tomoya gasped out. “...that’s where they say the Dragon lives!”

“So...in essence, they’re after the Dragon King.” Ryouta deduced. “But I can’t figure out why.”

“Let’s continue to read.” Toru said. His eyes had narrowed at the paragraph, given that the book prior had talked about the Ryuujin race, but in a bad light.

_“Although powerful dragons, the Ryuujin lived in harmony with other inhabitants of the continent for thousands of years. Naturally, with so many inhabitants present, there were bound to be skirmishes, there were bound to be disagreements and so forth._

_However, everything changed when Humankind decided to be greedy._

_The Ryuujin and Humankind fought against each other in what was later known as the Great Dragon War. With the Dragon King ―Kazuhiro at the helm, the Ryuujin had the upper hand._

_But then, a Great Sorcerer, developed a Magic which was able to take a Dragon’s Flame._

The trio let out a startled gasp and exchanged scared glances. Before continuing, they had a feeling of where this story was going. The Great Dragon War was never taught to them like this, instead; it was about Dragons being wild carnivorous beasts that leave a trail of destruction in their wake. They were never taught that Dragons could shapeshift, they were never taught that Dragons were peaceful. In their heads, Dragons were originally lizards but thanks to them absorbing the Mana in the atmosphere, overtime, they grew to be the massive winged creatures of destruction. For their entire lives, they ―and by extension the entire continent―all viewed Dragons as monsters which needed to be slain.

_Kazuhiro, Lord of the Blazing Fire protected his people like a King should. During the Humankind invasion, many of his comrades were slain yes, but unbeknownst to the Humans, many of the Ryuujin had already left under their disguises. But his family remained. His Queen, and his sons did not want to leave their husband and father’s side._

_In the midst of the chaos, the Great Mage managed to steal a portion of Kazuhiro’s Blazing Flame, which enraged his eldest son, the Black Dragon known as Takahiro of the Eternal Flame._

_When Kazuhiro fell, Takahiro entered a fit of rage, and scorched the land with his unbearable Hellfire, trampled the ground with his powerful legs, crushing everything beneath. When he roared, the earth trembled and tsunamis rose up._

_The Great Sage could do nothing to stop Takahiro._

_His spell of stripping a Dragon had been incomplete when he used it, and as such, for taking some of Kazuhiro’s flame, he was slowly turning into a dragon. But not many knew of this._

Toru skipped the page in order to read some more, but he found that some parts were damaged.

_...So the Great Sage ended up being the King of the Continent, and his descendants wielding Kazuhiro’s flame. There was only one inheritor of Kazuhiro’s flame per generation in the Royal Family, and the more time passes, the more they draw closer in turning into a full dragon._

_The only way to stop this is to get the rest of the Flame, which seems impossible. Kazuhiro fell and his body was nowhere to be found._

“My God...” Tomoya gasped out. “So, they took some of Kazuhiro’s flame, and because they’re turning into dragons they want the rest of it?”

“Which explains why the “Fire Breathing Dragon” is “evil”. The Royal family wants to brand Kazuhiro as such, so that if people see it, they’ll be able to take the rest of his flame.” Ryouta said.

“I’ve always wondered why the Royal Family’s Fire Magic was so damn powerful. It’s because it’s not theirs.” Toru hissed indignantly.

“Right?!” Ryouta agreed.

“By the way, how did you find this book?! And why is something like this, in a public space where _anyone _could take it up?!” Tomoya nearly shrieked. This just doesn’t make sense. Something like this, which goes against the Dragon Legend, which totally incriminates Humankind was sitting in a bookshelf, in a public Archival Space.

_Wow._

“It’s not simple, Tomoya.” Ryouta replied. “The Old Librarian gave it to me.” he said. “Plus, when she handed it to me, I could feel that there was a strong Magical Seal on it. Before I broke it, the contents read something totally different.”

“So, why didn’t they just burn the book instead of sealing and rewriting it?” Tomoya asked. He was totally glossing over the fact that Ryouta told them that an “Old Librarian” handed him the book.

“Maybe because they couldn’t. Remember that in ancient times, some texts were written using materials unknown which means that in modern day, we can’t do anything to them.”

“Yeah, almost like the Pyramids of Giza. No one knows how that shit was built. Because it was deemed impossible.”

“By the way, Ryouta.” Toru started up again. “Which Old Librarian was this?”

“She went back to her desk.”

“And she just happened to be around when you were looking for this book?”

“I asked her if there was any book about the Dragon Legend!”

“You did?! What if she got suspicious!?”

“She wouldn’t! I told her that the reason I needed it was because we’re a part of the subjugation team, so I’d like to know as much as I can! And not just using my knowledge of the legend alone!”

Tomoya nodded his approval. “Seems good enough.”

“And then she directed you to this book?”

“Yeah.”

Toru sighed. “Well, given that you said there was a strong Magic Seal on it, I doubt she would’ve been able to sense it.”

“Yeah because if she did, she would’ve have handed it to you.” Tomoya added.

“Unless she herself is a Ryuujin.” Ryouta joked.

Silence befell the trio before all three broke out in laughter and shook their heads.

“But anyway, let’s get out of here. We’ve got what we wanted.” Toru said quickly to change the subject. Speculation was never a good thing. He rose up to his feet, taking the book with him. He planned to read the rest of it later on, which meant he had to borrow it.

With a sigh, the trio trotted towards the Librarian, who for some reason, reminded Toru of someone when she smiled. Even her aura spoke volume. It was then that it clicked. She, especially her aura, was similar to Takahiro's. But, Ryouta suspected her to be a Ryuujin, but the Takahiro couldn't possibly one too. He's small and delicate. Shaking his head, Toru and his companions left the Library, with the book in hand. 

…

...

The weeks flew by, people in Draguinesse, both natives and the guests of Adventurers have begun to count down to the _Day of the Dragon. _The Adventurer Trio ―as Takahiro calls them―frequented his store often, given that since they weren’t on the subjugation list, they have been taking requests all over the town. But more so from Takahiro.

And thanks to him, Toru, Ryouta and Tomoya became proficient in the gathering of _some _herbs. While being an Apothecary required vast knowledge of the different herbs, Takahiro had only made them gather a certain amount of specific herbs.

There were even times when the Adventurers came for potions and other medical stuff in gearing up for the subjugation. Here, Toru and Ryouta assisted Takahiro in organizing his shelves and the making of the medicines, while Tomoya stayed at the front and took orders.

At first, Takahiro had rejected their assistance, being the stubborn and prideful fuck that he is. However, before Takahiro could realize, Ryouta and Toru had found their way around the back, and Tomoya was taking orders, bringing them to him. So, seeing that there was no way he’d win against them, Takahiro let them have their way.

But deep down, he was concerned.

With the _Day of the Dragon _nearing, he wondered what their reactions will be when they discover his truest secret. He didn’t intentionally hide it from them, but this was something he couldn’t just spill to them.

“Hey, what do you think about the Dragon Legend?” Takahiro asked one morning when they were setting up. This time, it was meant for Ryouta and Tomoya since he had already heard Toru’s answer in earlier days.

“Well, to be honest...” Tomoya began, looking over his shoulder. “Ryouta.” He then said to the young Mage. Knowing what this meant, the now blonde haired Elf headed to the doors and windows and placed a Magic Seal there.

Seeing the seal, Takahiro wondered. He had asked a simple question, yet it seems as though he was about to hear some national level secret.

“For us, not just me, we think that the true Legend was lost and replaced by someone.” Tomoya said in a serious tone. Even though they knew Takahiro for such a short time, Tomoya believed that they couldn’t tell him what they figured out. He found it odd that someone would ask about the Dragon Legend, especially, their thoughts on it. “Because, first and foremost, Draguinesse shouldn’t be here if that Dragon was evil.”

“Secondly,” Ryouta added. “This entire place should’ve been a wasteland of nothing but charcoal and ash. Dragons wield Fire right? This entire area should’ve burnt down already.”

“Thirdly,” Toru joined in. “Who came up with this _Day of the Dragon? _I mean, is there someone who records when they see the Dragon appear? How are they so sure that the Dragon will appear on that particular day?” The Elf was pretty concerned about this before they found out the truth. There hadn’t been any recording of any other Dragon after that apocalyptic day centuries ago, so this Day of the Dragon sounded shady.

“So...you think that the dragon isn’t evil?” Takahiro asked.

“We don’t know what to think.” Toru shrugged. Takahiro’s countenance shrank. Ryouta and Tomoya took note of this. “I mean, there could really be an evil dragon, but it’s just over-exaggerated in the Legend.”

“Or that there isn’t even an evil dragon at all. But maybe a dragon that’s going by its business when people attacked it. Aggravated, the dragon retaliates and the people frame it as being evil.”

“Or its egg could have been stolen.” Ryouta added. “Wild animals lose their shit when that happens, don’t they?”

“Which is right.” Toru nodded.

Takahiro sat back and heaved a sigh of relief. He then stretched his limbs before standing up. “I’m going to head out to restock. Watch the shop for me.”

“Uh, no can do.” Tomoya said, placing a hand on Takahiro’s shoulder. “_You’ll _stay in the shop and _we’ll _head out to restock.”

“Yeah, Mori-chan! That’s how we always did it. Why change now?” Ryouta asked. He had opted to address Takahiro as “Mori-chan”, given that it sounded rather cute. Plus, the Apothecary was small and cute so the name was fitting.

“Fine.” Takahiro succumbed.

Without a word more, the Adventurer Trio headed out towards the Orinth Forest yet again, even now the people living in this side of Draguinesse knew their faces well. They were probably nameless to the people, but everyone knew them as “Takahiro’s helpers”.

Now that they were proficient in gathering herbs, the Trio knew _exactly _where to go to find the herbs they wanted. They knew that _Black Cress _would be found in the westernmost area of the forest, while Forest Fennel was closest to the area in the centre, near the foot of the mountain. But this time, there were more demand for_ Sanguine Vanilla_ and_ Mountain Ivy_ as these two herbs were used as the primary ingredients for medicines treating flu and fevers.

These were found at the base of Mount Orin.

Throughout the trio’s walk, they noticed something odd about the place ―there were no animals or monsters, and there was an eerie feeling in the atmosphere. As for Ryouta, he was sensing something amiss, but he felt that it wasn’t anything serious. But the longer they continued to collect herbs, the more Ryouta felt something strange. It was similar to the feeling he had the other day, but it wasn’t until they were done and started to head back when suddenly, Ryouta _felt something._

Immediately, his head snapped back to Mount Orin, where he felt the presence. Ever since Ryouta was born, he had been a special child. He was extremely sensitive to Magic, and was able to detect even the slightest changes and fluctuations. Which is why he was one of the best Mages in the world.

“Guys...” He started, his eyes locked onto the Mountain. “..._something _is up there.”

The two’s heads snapped towards the landform, hoping to see what Ryouta felt. But, given the distance Mount Orin was from the Orinth Forest, they wouldn’t be able to see much ―if any at all. After, the three exchanged glances, as if reading each other’s minds.

Changing their direction, they headed towards the Mount Orin, storing Takahiro’s herbs in Ryouta’s Magic Bag for safekeeping.

“I just hope Takahiro won’t get mad if we come back a little late.” Tomoya said.

And like that, the Trio headed to the mountain, Ryouta leading the way with his Search.

…

…

The trio left the store, Takahiro’s sigh of relief and mumbles of “good riddance” went unnoticed by them. However, even though they were a rowdy and irritating bunch, Takahiro loved their company ―especially the Elven Archer―even though he would never admit it.

Toru’s sometimes deadpan face was clearly an irritant to the other two, setting them off into scream-fests and fights. There were other times when he hung out with Toru, and him only, and the Elf was growing on him. It was messing him up, as given what happened centuries ago, Takahiro tends to shy away from people. It wasn’t that he _hated _them per se, it was just that he put his guard up to avoid any unnecessary tragedy.

But so far, there hasn’t been one customer, but Takahiro didn’t mind. He loved the quietness, and the calm, so he plans to enjoy this until the three terrors arrive with the herbs to restock.

Just then, he felt _something._

Immediately, Takahiro knew where it was coming from. “Shit!” He cursed and dashed towards the back of the shop, put on his shoulder cape, and equipped his sword. Locking up the shop and placing a sign at the front door, he dashed towards the mountain, hoping, _praying _that nothing was wrong.

…

…

“There was a cave here?” Tomoya whispered as they looked at the grand entrance. “It’s huge.”

“We have no time to be ogling the size,” Toru said sternly. He turned to Ryouta, indicating that they needed to know where to go next.

“It’s in there.” The young Elf whispered. He had been breaking out in cold sweat ever since they ascended the mountain, Toru knew all too well that this was due to whatever he was sensing. Which meant, whatever that was in this cave was bigger than they were in terms of power.

“Should we call for back-up?” Tomoya asked.

Ryouta shook his head. “Let’s see if it’s a monster or a relic first.”

The Warrior nodded his agreement. There were many times when relics from ancient civilizations exuded powerful magical presences, tricking Adventurers into thinking that a monster was nearby. But deep down, they all believed that the body of the Dragon King was in there. 

But, as they were about to emerge from the bushes, they spotted a small figure racing towards the entrance. Eyes widening with shock, they recognized the petite man ―Takahiro, the “simple” Apothecary.

Neither of the men moved an inch, only watched Takahiro enter the cave. Timing it just right, they followed behind, hoping that they didn’t mess up. Toru knew just how powerful Takahiro was, and with his Search, he’s surprised that the small man hasn’t called them out yet.

They followed the petite man down the dark corridor, although Takahiro used his Fire to create light, the trio were too far away for it to be helpful. So, what they relied on was Ryouta’s Search skill, navigating away from the dangers.

Then, a bright light of red, yellow and orange illuminated the dark space, showing the trio the gigantic doors that took up the entire cave wall.

“What the hell?” Ryouta whispered in shock. “There’s a ―!” He broke off before he could finish, as the doors swung wide open and Takahiro disappeared inside. They followed in as well, and as soon as they entered, the doors swung shut.

The room lit up, and here, the Trio’s jaws drop to the ground.

Takahiro and the massive dragon were before them, its eyes casting a petrifying gaze. It then staggered to its feet, turning its gigantic body towards them.

“Ho―how is―?” Tomoya stuttered out in disbelief.

“Mori-chan! What’s going on!?” Ryouta knew about the Dragon since his Search Skill had picked it up.

Takahiro averted his eyes. He had sensed their presences from earlier on, but he couldn’t turn away. After all, this secret would’ve made it into the light one way or the other.

_“Takahiro...” _It was the Dragon ―Kazuhiro who spoke. It’s voice was deep and the three Adventurers likened its voice to thunder. _“Who are these people?”_

“They’re...” The petite man started, not knowing what to say. They were friends, they really were, but he didn’t know whether or not he had the right to address them as such now.

“We’re his friends.” Toru spoke up, shocking everyone present. “Which is why we need to know what the fuck is going on.” Even though he was trembling in his boots at the sight of such a creature, Toru walked towards Takahiro and the Dragon. “So…?” he urged the petite man to talk.

With a serious face, Takahiro said, “I’m the Dragon of the Legend.”

Exchanging shocked glances, the Trio couldn’t believe their ears. Small, petite and_ adorable _Takahiro was a _dragon!? _Much less the one from the Legend?

“You’re…!” Ryouta realized what they had read earlier in the Archives. “Takahiro of the Eternal Flame!”

The petite Apothecary grinned. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	3. Countdown: Day of the Dragon

...

...

“So, aren’t you going to talk?”

In that moment, Kazuhiro shifted and swayed to his feet, a surge of Magical Power emitting from his emaciated body. The Adventurer Trio were brought to their knees, Ryouta being the only one who wasn’t close to blacking out just yet. Toru and Tomoya gasped and seemed as though they were losing their breaths, like the life was being sucked out them.

As Adventurers, they’ve encountered many powerful monsters with immense Magical Power, but standing before Kazuhiro made them realize that what they had faced prior were just child’s play. Dragons really were the Kings of the Skies but in reality, Toru and Tomoya felt as though they were the Kings of _everything._

If Kazuhiro was this severely weakened and he had this amount of Magical Power, the Trio wouldn’t even imagine what he was like in his prime.

“No! Dad! Stay put!” Takahiro shrieked as he tried fervently to convince the older dragon.

“Time is running out, little one. I can feel my Flame burning less and less.”

“I’ll get it back! Just hang in there!”

“What...” Toru gasped as he struggled to speak. “...do you mean?” He panted some more. Takahiro noticed this but did nothing. After all, there was nothing he could do. If they couldn’t bear his father’s Magical Power, then it’s not his fault. “Your Flame...was stolen...right? So what...do you mean...by it’s burning...less and less?”

Kazuhiro looked at Toru briefly. He then turned to his son who was still in his mortal form. Takahiro’s form looked more Elven than Human, although his ears weren’t as pointed as Toru and Ryouta’s. “You’ve found good friends. I’m glad.”

Takahiro rose his eyebrows in suspicion. “This isn’t a death flag, is it?”

Kazuhiro closed his eyes and sighed, black smoke emitting from his mouth. He then addressed Toru who by this time was slowly getting onto his feet. “Because some of my Flame was stolen, the remnant inside me is dissipating. With more time that has passed, the weaker the flame becomes until it burns out.”

“Shit.” Ryouta was close to tears. A dragon, who had done nothing wrong was dying because of Humankind’s greed. “This must be stopped.”

“How? What are we gonna do? Find the so-called Great Mage and force him to return it?” Tomoya asked.

“We kill the fucker. That way, the Flame will find its way to Dad’s body and revive him.” Takahiro said. “That was _my _plan.”

“Well, the only way to find the bastard is to lure him out.” Ryouta said.

“How? Lead them here?” Tomoya asked.

“I can’t put my father in danger.” Takahiro replied quickly.

“Who said anything about your father? It’s _you_ we’re using.” Ryouta added.

“But what about ―?”

Toru face-palmed at their conversation before he butt in, “Are you forgetting that the Great Sage was a fucking human that died centuries ago?” He sighed. “We have to go for the holder of the Flame which is the bastard of a Prince, whose name I forgot.”

“Right...”

“So how do we get him?”

“He’s a part of the subjugation! All we got to do is lure him out as Tomoya said, but we can’t use Takahiro nor his father.”

“But how will that work?” Takahiro asked. “In order to lure out someone who’s looking for a dragon, you’ll _need a dragon.”_

“Kazuhiro-sama,” Toru started respectfully since he was talking to a King. That, and, he didn’t want to piss off a Dragon. “Can you shapeshift?”

“Yes.”

“Good. You’ll do that and we’ll head back to Draguinesse. Taka can always be the bait.”

A bright light glowed from Kazuhiro after which he was engulfed in beautiful blue flames. His Dragon body was shrinking, and when all was done, there stood an Elf like Takahiro with a few wrinkles on his face.

“I can’t have you use my son as bait. If anything should happen ―”

“Dad.” Takahiro interjected. “I’m not your little fire starter anymore! I can take care of myself!”

“That’s not it! What if they take your flame too!?”

“They won’t.” Toru spoke up. “Because they won’t know that he’s a Dragon.”

“But you said I’ll be the bait.” Takahiro said, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah. We’ll spread the rumour that someone is hiding the injured Dragon in a cave on Mount Orin. When we get the bastards to come, we’ll wipe them out.” Toru replied.

“But you’ll need a dragon!” Takahiro argued.

“Uhm,_ hello... _my Illusion Magic is S-rank. No one can see pass that.” Ryouta huffed with pride.

“Unless they themselves have another S-rank ability to counter that.” Kazuhiro shot down.

“Geh!” Ryouta didn’t want to admit defeat.

“Anyway, let’s head back to Draguinesse and plan out how we’ll do this.” Toru said firmly to get them back on track.

“Right...”

…

…

_Scritch. Scritch._

The sound of scratching could be heard inside the room, reminiscent of someone using a knife to scrape the scales of a raw fish. The young man scratched away at his skin, which was now partially covered with scales. His fingernails could do only so much and no more, but in his desperation to get the scales off, the young man seemed to not care.

“Shit. Shit. _Shit!”_ He hissed in frustration.

The young man was none other than Crown Prince Yoshino, the inheritor of the Blazing Flame. He was a fairly tall man with curly red hair and amber eyes ―showcasing the fire within.

“Why did I have to inherit this damn curse!?” He said, still scratching at the scales. “If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be in this mess!”

Of all his life, Yoshino had always hated the Royal Family. He hated that even though he was the second born, he ended up becoming the Crown Prince _just because _he’s inherited the Blazing Flame. At first, he thought that it was an honour to be able to wield such a powerful Fire, passed down in his family for generations.

But the more he knew, was the more he came to resent it.

First, his big brother hated him for it. Since he’s been relegated to future Prime Minister and not King as is customary, Yoshino’s big brother treats him as though he wasn’t there. They hardly ever spoke, and like the sibling rivalry that he’s heard other Adventurers talk about, he never knew what that was like.

_And would never know._

Secondly, when he found out the truth about the Royal Family’s Blazing Flame, he was shocked beyond belief. Of all his life leading up to the revelation, he’s always admired the past Kings and their powerful Fire Magic.

It awed him.

It inspired him.

It made him want to be just as badass as they were.

But to know that the First King of their lineage stole some of a Dragon’s Flame and kept it for himself was heart-wrenching. And even though Yoshino was taught that the Great Sage had to do what was necessary to save the continent from the rampage of the Dragons, he felt that stealing the flame was too far overboard.

_Why not kill the damn beast then?_

He had always wondered that, because if the fool had just done that, he wouldn’t be turning into a dragon now. Time was running out for Yoshino, and he knew that if he failed this subjugation, he could kiss his humanity goodbye.

With rage filling his body, he slammed a fist into the mirror, shattering it into shards. “Will I even find the damn Dragon?! Isn’t dead for centuries now?”

He continued to slam his fist into the mirror (or what remained of it) until he heard a loud knock coming from his door. Without answering, he thundered towards it and swung it open. There, he looked up at the face of a guard, who looked frightened.

“Your Highness, I heard screaming and ―”

“I’m fine, Hideno. Go back to work.”

“Checking up on you is a part of my work, Your Highness.”

“I don’t need any checking up on! I said I’m fine!” Yoshino roared.

Hideno stood rooted at the door, unfazed. “When people say they’re fine, they’re usually not. So, tell me, Your Highness. What has you smashing your mirror and screaming?” He asked, this time in a serious tone. “Or is it that you’ve finally cracked under the pressure and is slipping into insanity?”

Yoshino’s shoulder’s sagged and he lowered his head. “I don’t want to become a dragon. I want to remain human. I want to live. I want to live freely like those Adventurers. They have all the fun in the world once they get the chance because they know that they could be killed at any moment. With me...I don’t know what will happen if I don’t find that dragon.”

Hideno’s face softened. He was the only one who knew of the Prince’s true nature, and not of the pent-up frustration which he shows. The entire Kingdom had a bad image of the Crown Prince not because his personality was bad, but it was because the boy had so much things pent-up that when it comes out, it makes him look like a bastard.

Yoshino was angry that his big brother hated him.

He was angry that he inherited the Blazing Flame that, if something isn’t done, he’ll turn into a dragon (if he doesn’t die before that).

He was angry that he never had the freedom that he wanted.

He was angry at _everything _and _everyone._

So naturally, with all that bottled up inside, whenever it gets out, people won’t understand that the boy was just hurting and had no one to turn to because no one could help. Which is why the entire Kingdom knew him as the “Bastard Prince”.

“Don’t worry, we’ll just have to try our best.” Hideno said, embracing the prince in a warm hug.

“Hopefully, our best is good enough.”

…

…

Later that night, Hideno slipped out of their lodge, and wandered the city. He hated to see the young Prince like this, so he set out to see if he could find a lead, _if _there was any. He walked to a tavern and sat by one of the tables in the back. He kept quiet, hoping to eavesdrop on a conversation.

“Man, who would’ve thought that we’d meet Mori-chan’s Dad?” a chirp came from the table in front. Hideno didn’t care since this just idle talk in his opinion. “And that he’d be so powerful too!”

Hideno glanced at the table. It was just two Elves and a Half-Fae so he shrugged it off. Faes and Elves were more magically powerful than Humans were, so he could care less about them “finally meeting Mori-chan’s dad”.

They stayed there for about an hour, ordering drinks and chatting. Hideno watched as the trio got up and sighed. Might as well he leaves too because there was nothing going on in the tavern. He wasn’t going to sit and wait when maybe he could hear some information elsewhere. Reaching outside, he saw the same Trio head towards the Western side of the city. Over there had more houses than businesses, except for one, if he remembered correctly. There was an Apothecary there, who was quite famous even among the Adventurers.

“Maybe he would know something.” Hideno said. “But isn’t he closed by now?”

Just then, he saw the Trio before him stop. They didn’t turn around, but instead, they chatted with each at the side of the nearby wall.

“Hey, didn’t you hear that the Dragon was up on Mount Orin?” He heard the Half-fae ask. Immediately, his ears perked up. “I mean, I wouldn’t believe that _he _of all people was hiding it. What was he thinking!?”

“I know right!? At first, I thought it was a rumour by the people to destroy his business, but I trailed him up there.” This time it was one of the Elves. He was the taller one, with half-lidded eyes. “I followed him inside the cave, and shit! The fucking beast was there! It was so huge!”

Hideno couldn’t help it. He walked over to the Trio and asked, “Hey...I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation, what’s this about a Dragon?”

“Dude! The thing is up in the cave on Mount Orin!” This time it was the shorter of the two elves, who had bleached blond hair and a cute face. “Although it looks a bit wishy-washy like it’s life being sucked out or someshit.”

Hideno’s face brightened. “Could you direct me?”

The Trio’s face twisted with surprise. _“Now?” _They all asked. The tone in which they used indicated that Hideno had better say no.

“Well, it would have been ideal.” The guard said, “I mean, I’m the assistant for the leader of the subjugation, and I’d to like scope out the place before...”

Hideno saw the Tall Elf sigh. “Fine. I’ll show you.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Koha, Kan, you can go home.” But what Hideno didn’t know was that Toru had deliberately used fake names for his two companions.

“Tsch. As if we’re letting you get all the action.” The two said.

“Fine. You can come along.”

“But shit! I gotta tell Mom that we’ll be coming home late!” Ryouta said, gripping his hair in distress. He pretended to be Toru’s little brother. They were both Elves anyway.

Hideno saw the Shorter Elf dash off towards the houses, before disappearing over a wall. He looked at the other two that remained, who then urged him to walk with them to the gate until “Koha” came back, although Toru made it known that chances are, he won’t be coming back if their Mother really gets a good hold of him.

Hideno complied. He was close to saving his Young Master and wouldn’t let this chance pass.

….

….

Ryouta reached back to _Leaf It To Me _with a big grin on his face.

“Mori-chan!” He called. Immediately, the petite Apothecary emerged from around the back.

“So, how’d it go?”

“Perfect success. Tomo-kun and Toru are leading him towards the cave as we speak!”

“Wow. I can’t believe it actually worked.” Takahiro whistled. The plan they had discussed upon returning to Draguinesse was to have the trio go out to a tavern or any other busy establishment. Then they’ll intentionally speak loud for the other parties to hear and draw their attention. With the other party interested, the Trio could lead them towards the cave, and show them the dragon ―which is none other than Ryouta’s illusion Magic in play.

That way, they were bound to believe that there really was a Dragon in the cave, and as such, bring the subjugation party up there. Including the Leader, Prince Yoshino.

“He’s falling into the trap! So, I’ll be off now! See you later Mori-chan!” Ryouta chirped as he dashed through the door. Since he was to set up the illusion, he had to arrive before the others did.

Quickly, Ryouta dashed through the Orinth Forest, making sure to keep and eye out for Toru’s messages. The Latter could use Earth Magic, so he’d send a message via the element without Hideno knowing. And before Ryouta knew it, he was back at the cave where Kazuhiro rested, and created the same imagery from his mind.

It was extremely realistic, true to his word that his Magic was S-rank, the highest ranking anything could get.

The Elven Mage lingered for a bit before ducking behind one of the statues close to the door. The moment Toru, Tomoya and Hideno entered the cave, he could slip out through the door without being seen. That said, when the trio entered, and Hideno saw the dragon, he gasped in shock.

He rubbed his eyes to double check, as he didn’t believe his eyes one bit. “That’s…that’s…”

“Yup, that’s the dragon we’ve been looking for. It’s been slumbering for how long now?” Toru whispered. “We can’t make a ruckus and wake it up because God knows what hell will let loose.”

Hideno couldn’t even keep himself steady. After all these years of searching, and putting out bounty and requests, at long last, the dragon has been found. There was only reason they hadn’t given up, because the Prince was growing scales and smoke occasionally came out of his mouth, they _knew _that the dragon had to be alive. But they just couldn’t find out where.

And now, the answer dropped into his lap like a baby. He couldn’t wait to tell the Prince of his discovery, and as such, he hastily left the cave with Toru and Tomoya, even asking them to accompany him when they get the subjugation started.

The two exchanged glances and said, “We can give you a map.”

“That’s fine by me. Where can I meet you guys for it?”

Toru grinned. “Leaf It To Me.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!


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